The Tarot and Freemasonry
Not a part of, but intimately connected
My interest in the symbolism of the Tarot predates my initiation into Freemasonry, but the two were well joined together for me while I remained an Entered Apprentice. At my Initiation the Worshipful Master asked if there were any announcements, and someone from a lodge the next town over mentioned that at their upcoming Stated Meeting they were going to have a discussion of Tarot.
My mentor confirmed that there would be nothing discussed that would touch on the FC or MM Degrees, and was assured that it would be OK for me to attend, so we were off a few days later. Two Brothers from Esoterica Lodge ended up coming to Centennial Lodge, and we were treated to a presentation of the symbolic quest, or Fool’s Journey through Tarot symbolism.
Just to be clear, the Tarot is not a part of Freemasonry.
The Tarot is however intimately connected with Freemasonry through the countless men who have found profound meaning in both systems of symbolism through the centuries. The quickest glance at the High Priestess card in most decks, especially the Rider-Waite deck (the most popular Tarot deck of all time) clearly illustrates this. The Rider-Waite deck was painted under the direction of A.E. Waite, an extremely prolific Masonic writer. Yet one knows that despite the connection between Freemasonry and the Tarot, Tarot has never been considered a part of Freemasonry, for not even Waite included it in his massive Encyclopaedia Of Freemasonry.
It is my view that over the years so many Masons have been attracted to Tarot simply because like Freemasonry it is a system that communicates principles of improvement through symbolism. Like Freemasonry is speaks to the spirit with symbols instead of words, and as all who have been truly touched by Masonic Initiation know, that is a very powerful form of communication for those who are open to it.
Crack open a new Tarot deck and look at the Major Arcana (the 22 named cards, numbered from zero to 21). Start with card zero, The Fool, and watch how he may Journey through the remainder, how his Journey will change him from what he is, into a better version of himself. This is The Fool’s Journey, perhaps not unlike the Mason’s quest towards finding that which was lost.
In writing of the Tarot I think that I would be remiss to not mention the fact that I am aware that unscrupulous people have over the course of hundreds of years, badly damaged the reputation of this philosophical tool by utilizing it with mercenary motives and bilking the gullible. Yet in that way too Freemasonry is like Tarot, for Freemasons as well have forever been unfairly attacked by those with much less than honorable intentions.
This isn’t to say that a bit of crazy fortune telling can’t be fun. One of the most mirthful Lodge experiences I ever had was when one of our Brothers sat down with his cards and his beer to give us all our fortunes. His performance was, without a doubt, one of the funniest things I’ve ever experienced, and he kept the room laughing for quite literally hours. The problem comes when one can not accurately judge between Tarot done for entertainment and Tarot done for transformation.
But a solo Tarot practice, or a Tarot consultation with an especially reputable person does not carry that same risk.
Ultimately Tarot is a meditative practice. The symbols can speak to our subconscious minds in ways that words can not. They can help us lift the veil to see what we may have been missing in our daily lives. Ultimately, through contemplation of Tarot symbolism, and by interacting with that symbolism energetically, we can bring transformative change to ourselves, and to the world around us. Much like we can do through Freemasonry.
If you have never experienced the Tarot, I’d suggest that you get a version of the Rider-Waite Tarot and take a careful look at the Fool’s Journey. See how that Journey connects with your own personal path through Masonry. I think you will find value in it.
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Most people think it is a system of divination, and to be fair it is used that way, but so is the Bible (bibliomancy using the Bible). The Tarot has much more value as an illustrated guide to spiritual evolution, and as a catalogue of magical correspondence. For example, the modern Tarot corresponds perfectly to magical Kabbalah. Considering the trump cards, there are 22 of them. Each card corresponds to one of the paths of the tree of life, and to each Hebrew letter. Each numbered card corresponds to one of the spheres, or sephirot. The court cards correspond to specific sephirot. The Tarot also captures Alchemical information as each suit corresponds to one of the classical elements, swords-air, wands-fire, cups-water, discs-earth. These are also the symbols a Ceremonial Magician will have on his altar, a sword (or dagger), a cup, a wand and a disc. Astrologically, there are also patterns of correspondence that progress through the zodiac. In short, the Tarot is an expression of a Magical cosmology. There is a legend that ancient priests and priestesses coded their great magical tradition into the playing cards as a way to save it from destruction. I don’t believe that is true, but it is a good story. If you are interested in the many occult and ceremonial magic connections with the Tarot, I suggest the work of Brother Lon Milo DuQuette, 320.
So, with each Tarot card being a hyper-symbol (called an arcanum), containing many corresponding facts, integrated in such a way as to create a harmonious meaning, they can become a developmental milepost, a system of initiation. Just like Freemasonry. Using the idea that the Tarot corresponds to the Kabbalah, expressed in the Tree of Life as a glyph that illustrates the decent of the divine into the material, then the ceremonial magician can retrace that path, as a path of spiritual development. Each of the correspondences listed above becomes an element of the magician’s ritual or meditation. The harmonies created by the ceremony, activate unconscious elements within the magician’s consciousness and unlock meaning and experience that can lead to spiritual advancement.
There are two authors you might enjoy on these issues along with Brother DuQuette. Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism, authored by an unknown author (though you can figure it out) with an afterward by, Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar (Roman Catholic). The other author is John Michael Greer, who has several books on pathworking (a term used to describe meditations on the tree of life, using the correspondent symbols lightly touched on above.)
There is nothing inconsistent with a Mason using the Tarot, based on the tenets of Freemasonry. Since there are Kabbalistic correspondence in Masonry and concordant bodies and the same correspondences in the Tarot, it’s natural that some Masons have used the Tarot to enhance their spiritual progress. The religion’s and spiritual beliefs of some Masons might prohibit the use of the Tarot, and I respect that, but for me it’s a useful tool.